The American Horace Nelson Higdon Jr was found dead in a rented room in Patong Tuesday night after housekeeping staff noticed a foul smell coming from the room while sweeping the floor outside.

There were no signs of any struggle and Mr Higdon's belongings all seemed to be present in the room.

Patong police were notified at 20:20 about the death and made their way to the Baan Fasi building on Pisitkoranee Rd to investigate the scene. Since both, the front and the back door had been locked from the inside, police entered the room through the window.

The air-conditioning in the room was still running, Pol Maj Batabi Srichai told ThePhuket News. The man, who police identified as 63-year-old American Horace Nelson Higdon Jr, was found in a sitting position on the floor with his face resting on the foot of the bed.

Baan Fasi building on Pisitkoranee Road, Phuket.

Maj Patapee said police found no signs of assault on the body or robbery in the room. The owner of the Baan Fasi, Boonlerd Wanyattikul, who reported the discovery to police, said that Mr Higdon Jr has been renting the room since July 2014. He would renew the lease every six months.

“Mr Higdon was staying in the room alone,” Mr Boonlerd told police. “He was very polite and never had problems with anyone.” On Sept 13 at around 20:00, one of the housekeepers reported a smell coming from the room while he was cleaning the third-floor area. “I went to check but the room was locked.”

Police and rescue workers at Baan Fasi on Pisitkoranee Rd in Patong

After learning that no one had seen Mr Higdon for a couple days and that his rented motorbike was parked in the parking area, Mr Boonlerd had the housekeeper climb to the balcony at the back of the building to check if he could see anything.

“He reported that he could see a motionless man in a sitting position on the floor with his face at the foot of the bed, so we called the police,” Mr Boonlerd said.

The body was taken to Patong Hospital for doctors to confirm the time and cause of death. The American Embassy has been notified of Phuket’s latest foreign death.